Game device.



No. 825,890. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

S. BRISTOW.

GAME DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. 1904.

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SAMUEL BRISTOl/V, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS. I

GAME DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

A li ation filed May 17. 1904- Serial No, 208,359.

To all whom, 2 2 may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL BRISTOW, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to instruments used in propelling or shooting balls or other objects on a game-board, table, or other suitable surface.

The primary object is to produce a simple instrument with which by a simple operation one may drive a ball with accuracy as to desired speed and direction across the board or table or other surface used in playing games, particularly where very small balls are to be driven across such surfaces. I accomplish this obj ect by the device shown and described herein and in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the instrument in its preferred form. tom view, and Fig. 3 is a side view, of the instrument and a ball and shows the manner of use. 4

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

A is a thin spring having one end inserted in the handle B. At the other end is a thickened portion C, in the under side of which is a guiding groove or depression D. The end of the instrument at F is slanting, the under side being cut shorter. The under side may be provided with a cushion, as a felt or rubber pad E, as indicated by the dotted outline, to prevent noise and injury to the table or board H.

G is a ball resting on the board or table H.

The spring A is in the form of a thin fiat bar or blade, made, preferably, of springsteel, although it may obviously be made of any other suitable material having the proper resilience.

The instrument is used in' the following manner: It is grasped by the handle B, the groove D being placed over the ball G, which rests on the table H. Then the forward end of the handle is pressed downward and the spring is bent in the same direction, but in a greater degree than as shown in Fig. 3, (Fig. 3 being intended to show a set curve in the spring-bar which gives the handle an upturn for the purpose of keeping the hand and fingers clear of the game-board when applying the instrument and shooting the ball,) and Fig. 2 is a botdrawn backward, causing the ball to follow in the groove till it rolls out at the end, thus releasing the spring, which suddenly springs downward, causing the slanting end F of the instrument to strike the sloping surface of the ball, and thus drive the ball forward in the direction in which the groove is pointed. It is not necessary to place the ball in the instrument, as in the case of most shooting devices, but the operation, as above described, consists simply in placing the device on the ball, aiming it, and drawing it backward under the desired pressure of the hand until the ball is shot forward in the desired direction at the desired speed with accuracy according to the skill of the player, the guiding-groove guiding the ball to determine accurately the direction. This simplicity both in the construction of the device itself and in the manner of using it is effected primarily by placing the guiding-groove in the under side of the instrument, so as to adapt it to be used in connection with the surface of the game-board, table, or the like, and also by applying the pressure of the hand to the spring instead of applying the pressure of the hand directly to the ball. Moreover, by giving the spring a set curve, as shown in Fig. 3, with the groove on the convex side the fingers of the player need not come in contact with the surface of the game-board, even where the instrument is used on very small balls, and to further afford such a clearance the handle may be made smaller at the forward end and the spring may be inserted in the handle nearer the lower surface thereof, as shown in Fig. 3.

'The thickened portion C serves as a convenient form in which to make the groove and may, as heretofore explained, be cushioned to prevent noise and injury to the' game-board or table. The groove terminates a short distance from the end of the spring, thus forming a shoulder or stop to prevent the ball from slipping backward. The spring and handle may obviously be made either of one or two pieces, the essential features of the invention being the spring with the guiding-groove in the under side of the instrument to be used in conjunction with the game-board or table or other suitable surface to drive or snap the ball forward in a predetermined direction and with considerable accuracy as to both speed and direction, although I also contemplate that there maybe variations from the description herein Without departing from the spirit of the l 4. Agame device consisting of the thin fiat invention.

I do not claim my device in combination with another member of like nature, both of which to ether constitute a single device with a pair of jaws from between which a ball may be discharged by pressing said aws together; nor do 1 claim a device comprising a blade adapted to be used in conjunction with an elastic game-board for flipping angular and v other objects. My instrument, on the other hand, comprises a single spring-bar having a guiding-groove in the under side of the instrument and is adapted to be applied to the ball as it rests on the game-board, capable of driving the ball smoothly forward over the game-board with accuracy as to direction and with varying speed, according to the pressure and without the necessity of loading the ball into the instrument preparatory to driving it.

What I claim is 1. An instrument of the kind and for the purpose described comprising the spring-bar aving at one end a handle and at the other end a groove extending parallel with the bar and terminating a short distance from the end of the bar to form a shoulder or stop, substantially as set forth.

2. An instrument of the kind and for the purposes described, comprising a thin flat spring-bar having at one end a handle and at the other end a thickened portion in the under side of which is provided a guiding-groove parallel with the spring the discharge end being beveled, substantially as set forth.

3. An instrument of the kind and for the purpose described comprising a thin flat spring-bar having at one end a handle and at the other end a groove extending parallel with the spring and a cushion on the grooved side substantially as set forth.

spring-bar having atone end a handle and at the other end a groove extending parallel with the spring and terminating a short distance from the end of the spring to form a shoulder, substantially as set forth.

5. An instrument of the kind and for the purpose set forth comprising a single springbar having a guiding-groove in the under side of the bar which forms the under side of the instrument.

6. An instrument of the kind and for the purpose set forth having a guiding-groove in the outer surface of the under side thereof, and adapted to be used in conjunction With the surface of the game-board, table, or the like, to drive a ball, as set forth.

7. A game device of the kind and for the purpose set forth, comprising a single thin curved spring-bar having at one end in the under and convex side of the instrument a guiding groove extending parallel with the bar and terminating a short distance from the end of the spring to form a shoulder.

8. A game device of the kind described, comprising a single thin curved spring-bar having at one end a handle, and at the other end in the under and convex side of the instrument a guiding-groove, substantially as set forth.

9. A game device of the kind described comprising a single spring-bar having a handle at one end, and having at the other end a guiding-groove in the under side of said instrument, said under side being the one adapted to be nearest the game-board.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of Witnesses.

SAMUEL BRISTOVV.

WVitnesses:

JosEPH GRoLL, Z. T. FIsHER. 

